Welna II is my go-to neighborhood hardware store. Close, convenient, helpful staff, and a very…read moreinviting environment. They also carry chicken feed, which is great because there are not too many places where I can pick that up at!

Not being a do-it-yourself, home repair kind of guy, I never expected to fall in love with a…read morehardware store, but that's what's happening with Welna II in Seward. It helps that the store's just a short walk from my house. But what turned me into such a fan is the exceptional customer service. As soon as I step in the door I know I'll get a friendly hello and offer of help from whoever's working the counter. Owner Jim Welna and his staff have proven time and time again they're more than happy to go the extra mile to come up with solutions to problems. Plus, when it comes to product recommendations, I can trust they'll steer me in the right direction. Instead of the most expensive item, they'll show me what's locally produced, eco-friendly, AND most cost effective. If they don't have what I need they'll do what they can to make sure I get it. And these people know their stuff! One more thing: If your timing's right, as mine was on my second trip, Mr. Welna might offer you one of the hot dogs he's got cooking on the grill out back. That's the kind of added bonus that makes this family-owned neighborhood hardware such a standout!

The customer service guy (Edward or Andrew, I can't remember) was incredibly helpful! I came in…read moretrying to find a nut and bolt combo to fix a patio chair, and he took the time to help me find exactly what I needed. I absolutely would have messed it up without his help! He was knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely nice. Ace is lucky to have him!

This ace hardware has always been helpful through my years of living in this neighborhood! And…read morethere isn't a lack of people that is willing to help. The selection they have is of wide variety.

I purchased a Stihl backpack blower. I was working with one individual when a second employee came…read moreover to take over the interaction. I was offered the "double warranty" (which in my mind translated to "pay more for something I'm unlikely to use"). The second individual took the blower to the back to "test it". He placed fuel in the tank, tried it, came out and sent me on my way. Within one hour of use (which included emptying the fuel tank) the blower stopped working. When I took it in, I was informed that offering me the double warranty was their speak for the use of a fuel additive. The blower is fried and the cost of a repair exceeds the $545 I paid for it. I'm out $545 and they are out a customer.

One of my joys in life is going to the hardware store. I like to wander around and hunt for all of…read morethe things on my list. The River Falls Ace Hardware is one of the best hardware stores I have ever been to. There is always lot of help if you need to find some oddball bolt or part. The staff all have radios and will locate anything you need in seconds. The did expand some and now have more square feet of hardware. This location also has an excellent rental selection. I have rented many items from them over the years. Only reason they lost a star is for their pricing on some of their items is a little bit on the aggressive side. I don't expect them to be Menards cheap but they could try to at least price things a little bit more affordable.

Well I go to a big box store when you can go to your local Settergrens?! this is by far my…read morefavorite hardware store in the Twin Cities. They have an excellent selection and the best customer service ever. When the staff recommends a product, you know that they stand behind it, they've tried using it and it is a high-quality. I bought a new ice scraper today that is by far the best ice scraper ever. I had at least 1 inch of ice on my driveway and it got right underneath it without killing my back. PLEASE BUY LOCAL! AND PLEASE STOP IN AND MEET MARK AND THE CREW!

Fantastic hardware store!…read more Mark has probably saved our family thousands of dollars over the years ($1,300 in plumbing quotes alone) with his advice to solve problems backed by knowhow and knowledge of the problems his products help solve! This month the shower faucet was leaking. $3.99 kit of washers combined with Mark telling me which ones to try first. In 30 minutes, the leaking was fixed. He has done this multiple times. I literally search the internet for how tos and Amazon for products to fix a problem, then look at Mark's site online to see what they have in stock and buy it Settergren's of Linden Hills instead. When I don't know I ask... and he doesn't charge me for the advice... Mark is also great with referring service providers. I have a beloved ~30-year-old Toro lawnmower that was taking 12+ pulls to start. I thought I was going to have to replace it for $500. Mark referred me to Glen Rud, a fantastic, honest, and reasonable small engine repair expert in located in Richfield. Glen fixed the problem and I had it back in 1.5 days. It just needed an adjustment to the choke... Fantastic hardware store!

I purchased 8 long stainless steel screws 3 days ago for $15.60. They turned out to be the wrong…read moresize. I brought them back to the store. The cashier who said he's the manager told me there was nothing he could do for me, such as credit or refund, because it wasn't purchased within the last day. My wife and I have been loyal customers for years. We will never do business with them again. I left the screws with the manager and got nothing in return. That's a rip-off! Don't trust this business. Customer loyalty means nothing to them.

I love shopping at this store because the staff is the most helpful you'll find anywhere. They can…read morehelp you make decisions you didn't even know you needed to make! Great store!

Overall, I really enjoy my neighborhood Ace. The majority of the staff is helpful and…read moreknowledgeable. However, there is one employee (a male with long-ish wavy hair, likely in his mid-30s) who clearly knows his products but often delivers suggestions in a tone that comes across as condescending and judgmental. I'm sharing this only as constructive feedback, as I otherwise have had very positive experiences and appreciate the store and team.

Owner Dave has seen to it that his entire staff, including the young ones, knows the stock, and…read morewhat will do what.

Love the gas station at this location, easy in yet hard to get out. Love some Costco pizza and a…read morestrawberry banana fruit smoothie. Every once in a while a splurge for a sundae or some ice cream. Easy to walk to the back to get my chicken, grab a slice of pizza and have a feast. Friendly people and efficient.

This is hands down my favorite Costco. It's always fully stocked with a great selection, well-run,…read moreand the staff are consistently friendly and helpful. If you know what to look for, they have amazing deals on wine/liquor, easily some of the best value around. Over the last year, they really upped their game in the bakery department, and especially great for hosting or having extra treats on hand. One heads-up about the parking lot: if you're getting gas, don't try to cross at the main stop sign. There's a much easier way to loop left and come around the back, which saves a lot of time and frustration. Once you know it, it's a game changer. I also love getting gas here because the savings really add up. Pro tip: use the Costco app. It makes things quicker and helps you keep track of deals. They also regularly have great gift card deals like (Uber, Top Golf, local restaurants), usually $15-25 off, which is an easy win. Plus their pharmacy is always way cheaper than I've found elsewhere. Busy like any Costco, but worth it every time.

Store is okay but they seem to always run out of the advertised sale items by the second day. Most…read moreof the employees are crabby and have no interest in being helpful.

My chainsaw was repaired by Runnings, Fall of 2012…read more Dropped off a Stihl chainsaw with the request that they take a look at it and see what it would cost to make it operational again. It had not been run in a few years and I'm elbows deep into a bike project. They said they'd call with an estimate. Great. Call they did ... to tell me that the saw was done and I could come and get it. Ahhhhh? What about calling with an estimate, and what is the bill? "About $100" I was told. Okay. I dropped by to pick up my saw and pay the bill. After waiting a seeming eternity it becomes clear that they can't find my saw. So they bring me back in the shop area to ID it. I finally find it and ...then they can't find the bill. I wait another 20 minutes and then just leave. Without my saw. I had been in the store for 40 minutes at this point. (A point: their computer system seems like a detriment to actually getting people in and out of the store quickly. I looked over the guy's shoulder and viewed the screens and masses of entry boxes. We put a man on the MOON with little more than a clock radio, okay?) I called the manager and explained to him what had happened. He was aware of my situation and said they'd been experiencing a lot of turnover in the repair shop and this was why it is just coming out of a sea of disarray. I also mentioned the estimate on repair suddenly becoming a bill. He said that he'd adjust the bill for me and that I'd be happy. I return to the store. The bill is presented. There is no adjustment. I mention this to the clerk helping me. He takes me back to the shop to find the original bill (I think). I am wondering at this point if they are going to just kill me and get this over with. He finds the bill, and stares at it, clearly ruminating over what to do. He wants to help. He is anguished by this situation. I can't do simple arithmetic either, so I say, "How about $65?" He is awash with relief. "Okay, $65." We bring it to the checkout and he hangs for a few minutes to try and get the check out clerk to do this quickly. He leaves. Then more chaos ensues as the checkout girl can't get the register to work correctly because of the numbers on the bill. "These SKUs won't automatically enter the price," she says to me. I own some SK wrenches but am actually no longer dumb enough to blurt stuff out like this now that I am old. I just hang, decide to buy some candy. Like 10 minutes later I am paying and leaving. I go to Runnings at least once a week to get something, I prefer it over Menards and Ace. They are trying and they'll get it. Saw runs great.